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Central Victorians raised a whopping $83,173 for community groups during the region’s first Big Give event.
The Central Victorian Community Foundation event culminated yesterday with a 24-hour fundraising event involving more than 70 organisations, organisations, not for profits, schools and sporting groups.
The project called on others to give where they live.
Foundation chief excecutive Ann Lansberry said the region had shown it was an “amazingly generous community’’.
“Over 500 people donated during the 24-hours of the Big Giving Day,’’ she said.
Campaigns jostled over a nail-biting 24-hours, to win from a prize pool of $31,000.
Grand prizes, totaling $24,000, were given to campaigns with the most unique donors during the 24 hours fundraising event.
Additional “lucky hour” and “power hour” prizes were given through out the day.
East Loddon P-12 School won first place in the large not-for-profit category, for the campaign “It’s Dingee not Dingy”.
The Old Church on the Hill won first place in the small not-for-profit category, with their campaign “Our loo just won’t do”.
The sporting club prize went to Golden Square Cricket Club for the “Golden Square Cricket Club Net Facility Maintenance Project” campaign.
East Loddon P-12 College principal Scott Wilkinson said it was unexpected that the Big Give would bring the community together in such a positive way.
“This year has been tough for our rural community. Big Give has given us reason to celebrate,’’ he said.
Paul Scullie of Golden Square Cricket Club explained that funds raised by Big Give would have taken three years for their volunteers to achieve. “Big Give has been huge for our small club,’’ he said.
The community of the Old Church on the Hill stayed up all night celebrating and watching online the number of supporters grow.
Rose Vincent of the Old Church on the Hill said it was “incredible how everyone got the word out about our campaign, our networks kept on growing’’.
Chair of the Community Foundation, Penny Wilkinson, said the collective impact Big Give created had far exceeded their expectations.
“Our aim was to empower 50 community groups to motivate their supporters and grow supporter base,’’ she said.
“This collective giving day using crowd funding is a first for Australia. By making it easy for everyone to give where they live, it has been a huge success.”
Big Give is an initiative of the Community Foundation for Central Victoria, a not-for-profit organisation strengthening the communities of Central Victoria. The Community Foundation is committed to making giving easy so that everyone can give where they live.
All campaigns are listed www.chuffed.org/biggive